When I was 18 my father passed away, and Gene quietly and without fanfare did his best to step into the void that was left in my life - or at least, I always felt like that's what he tried to do. Not like he suddenly started checking up on me or anything, but when he saw me I felt like he always made sure to give me genuine attention and invited me (in a very gentle way) to share my fears and burdens with him. When my first marriage was ending, his ability to listen and advise without judgment was a true godsend. He was the father figure of my early adulthood that I know my actual father would have wanted me to have, and I am deeply grateful.